There's a misconception that if you claim Social Security retirement benefits, you have to actually retire from your job. But this isn't true. You can absolutely claim your Social Security benefit if you're still working and have no plans to retire, or if you plan to retire and then find part-time work after.
However, if you continue to work after claiming Social Security, it could result in your benefit being reduced. This is especially true if you have not yet reached your full Social Security retirement age yet. Here's how it works, and how much you can earn in 2026 without affecting your Social Security.
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What is the Social Security earnings test?
Of course, Social Security is largely designed to provide retirement income to American workers. But there's no rule that says you have to stop working altogether (or even slow down) after you claim Social Security benefits. In fact, many Americans claim Social Security before leaving their full-time jobs, and many find part-time work even after they officially 'retire.'
However, in some cases, Social Security benefits can be reduced if the recipient's earned income exceeds certain thresholds. And that's where the Social Security earnings test comes in.
The Social Security earnings test is used to determine if a Social Security recipient's benefit will be reduced due to their earnings. And for the purposes of the 2026 Social Security earnings test, there are three groups:
- Social Security beneficiaries who have not yet reached full retirement age and won't reach it until after 2026.
- Social Security beneficiaries who have not yet reached full retirement age, but will reach full retirement age during 2026.
- Social Security beneficiaries who have reached full retirement age before 2026.
The 2026 Social Security earnings test
The Social Security earnings test impacts these three groups differently. First, the good news is that if you're in the last group listed above (you've already reached full retirement age), the earnings test doesn't apply to you at all. In this case, you can collect your entire Social Security benefit, even if you're still working and earning a very high salary.
However, the other two groups can potentially have their benefits reduced.
Let's start with early retirement benefit claimers -- that is, Social Security beneficiaries who will reach full retirement age after 2026. In this case, beneficiaries can earn as much as $24,480 in 2026 ($2,040 per month) with no impact to Social Security benefits. However, any earnings that exceed that threshold result in a $1 benefit reduction for every $2 in excess earnings.
Here's how this works. Let's say that you're 63 years old and collect Social Security. You earn $30,000 in 2026, which is $5,520 over the limit. Since there is a $1 reduction for every $2, this means that your Social Security benefit will be reduced by $2,760 in 2026.
Finally, if you're in the group that hasn't reached full retirement age yet, but you will during 2026, there's a less restrictive version of the earnings test that applies to you.
In this group, beneficiaries can earn as much as $65,160 ($5,430 per month) with no impact to Social Security. Any money earned in excess of this limit will result in a $1 benefit reduction for every $3. And, only the months before the beneficiary reaches full retirement age count.
What if your Social Security benefit is reduced?
To be perfectly clear, although the earnings test can result in a benefit reduction, that doesn't mean the money is lost. The Social Security Administration considers it to be a withholding, and once you reach full retirement age, any benefits that were withheld due to the earnings test will serve to permanently increase your monthly checks.
In simple terms, once you reach full retirement age (67 for most Americans), your benefits should jump a bit higher. So, you can gradually get your withheld benefits back.
